The Cursed Child: Tsukuyomi
by Zero Unit RGB
Summary: Every hero has their own origin story. How they got their powers or how they decided to become a hero. Tokoyami Fumikage carries a burden from his childhood which he hopes to make up for by becoming a hero. Thus starts him on a journey on going to the prestigious U.A. and everything leading up to and after making it in. Read and review!


At three years old, Fumikage sat cross-legged in a bright room. White wallpaper, the lights on, candles lit, oil lamps surrounding him, and a night light plugged into every outlet. There was nothing else in there except a clock that ticked away the seconds. He couldn't count very well yet but he knew that a lot had passed since the clock struck midnight.

"Fumikage-kun?" someone called from beyond the door. "It's time for bed."

The large bird head turned to the voice, looking up at Sister Ella. Her arms, as always, were covered in bandages.

Fumikage looked up at her. "Can you keep the light on?"

"Of course, sweetie."

Sister Ella must've sat through a hundred adoption negotiations, talking to several prospective parents. It was difficult enough to get some children to be adopted. But it was near impossible to get anyone at all interested in Fumikage. Not when the place they would find him in was so blinding.

Tokoyami Karasuma stared at the photograph of the crying child, unable to smile for the camera. "Why was he abandoned?"

Ella wrung her hands together nervously. She had asked all of her friends if they knew someone that was looking for a child. Or someone who could handle taking care of a child with such a dangerous Quirk. As soon as her brother saw the picture of Fumikage, he recommended Tokoyami Karasuma. The man had no interest in becoming a single parent. The only reason he was asked to show up was because his Quirk was Crow.

"Birds of a feather," Ella's brother had said as if this wouldn't be the most important thing in a child's life.

"I'm sorry to have taken the time out of your busy schedule," Ella bowed. "If you're not interested…"

Karasuma shook his head. "I am. I just need to know why."

Ella was surprised but decided this was her best chance. Even if the story might scare him away, she couldn't lie.

On October 30 at 11:13 PM, Fumikage was born, silently. Most babies cry when they're born, he didn't make a sound. Almost immediately, his Quirk manifested, turning into a black shadow that loomed over the infant's body. The doctors and parents were stunned, having never seen a Quirk like this before. Sentient Quirks weren't unusual though, just uncommon.

The night Fumikage was taken home, the first tragedy occurred. The baby, who didn't cry when he was born, let out a loud scream in the car. He was terrified and the parents just couldn't figure out why. But then the Quirk suddenly screeched along with its host. The windows shattered, the father jerked the wheel in one direction, and the car veered off the road. It crashed into a lamppost.

Whenever Fumikage cried at night, the Quirk would come out. Furniture would be torn to shreds and the walls would begin to deteriorate. Less than one week after, the parents were unable to take it anymore. They began calling their own son, the Cursed Child. It wasn't a Quirk, it was a Curse. And he was left in front of the orphanage with a note detailing their reasons. As if to justify why they had to do this to their only child.

"Your bandages," Karasuma remarked. "Were they caused by that boy as well?"

Ella didn't even realize they were showing from inside her sleeves. "Yes… But he's only done it a few times! He's very careful about not getting sad or angry or scared."

The crow couldn't even imagine what it would be like to restrict those emotions. But the bandages seemed to have been applied recently. "When was it?"

The children at the orphanage were beginning to learn that the world was unfair. Some of them were left there because they were Quirkless. Others because the parents simply couldn't afford a child or felt they weren't ready. Then there was the one with the dangerous, uncontrollable Quirk.

The kids that were weak, forsaken because their parents wanted to birth the next number one hero, began picking on Fumikage. Asking if it was true that the bird-child had a Curse. One of the children turned off the lights, having overheard the Sisters talking about how it was best to make sure there was light around their problem child. When Fumikage realized it was pitch black, he shouted for everyone to stay away and that's when it happened.

Ella and the other Sisters ran into the playroom upon hearing the children scream. None of the other caretakers wanted to be near the Cursed Child. So Ella used her Elastic Quirk to wrap her arms all the way around Fumikage, holding him close until he calmed down. In doing so, she suffered many injuries.

"Sister Ella," Fumikage had sobbed into her bosom when he awakened in her arms at dawn. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

Ella softly brushed her fingers over the soft feathers on his head, smearing some of her blood into the blackness. "It's okay. Shhh… it's okay…"

"Do you want to get rid of him that badly?" inquired Karasuma.

Ella bit her tongue as she carefully looked for the right words. "I'm sure… Fumikage would be happier in a real home."

Karasuma looked back to the papers. He worked as an airline pilot so he was constantly on the move. Not exactly the best material for being a father. But at the same time, knowing that this boy wasn't allowed to feel certain emotions, wasn't allowed to enjoy the night sky, and wasn't allowed to enjoy his childhood in general, made Karasuma's heart sting.

"Where is he?"

-X-

"Tokoyami Fumikage."

The child played with the syllables on his tongue while seated in the back of the car. He decided then and there that he'd prefer to be known by his new last name. Not the one that his biological parents gave him. Not when they had left him.

It was the first time he had ever been more than a block away from the orphanage. The first time he wore a seatbelt over his chest. The first time he'd ever been in a car seat. The first time someone said they wanted him.

"It has a nice ring to it, right?" Karasuma chuckled. "Do you know how to read yet?"

Tokoyami looked down at his shoes. "No… The Sisters say I'm a slow learner."

"Everyone learns at their own pace."

They stopped by a local grocery store to get some food for dinner that night. Karasuma reached down and held his newly adopted son's hand as they bought what they thought they'd need or want. Just for that night, they'd splurge for some prime beef and fresh vegetables.

Tokoyami was giggling the entire time as he looked through the shelves and displays. From Japanese snacks and candies that ended up going in their basket to those that gave Tokoyami a rather queasy feeling. The dead fish that stared at him from beyond the glass, a barrel of hopping frogs that he felt guilty just thinking about eating, and the flies getting stuck to sticky, yellow paper hanging from the ceiling.

"Mr. Karasuma, is it expensive?" the boy asked at the registers. "I don't need the Pocky if it is."

Karasuma chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, Fumikage. I can afford this much."

Karasuma's small apartment was sparse since he didn't stay there much. There was only one bedroom but it was probably best for the pair to sleep together for a while just to ease Tokoyami into this new life. Now that the bird-man thought about it, he would have to start looking into nearby kindergartens to enroll the child in for next year. Then there was the fact that he still had to figure out how to change his job hours. Maybe he could change his occupation entirely. He could be a driver. He did have plenty in savings.

"Why don't you watch some TV while I make dinner?" suggested Karasuma.

Tokoyami nodded before pausing. "Um… Where are all the light switches? Do you have candles? Do you have my night light?"

Sister Ella mentioned that Tokoyami was always worried about it not being bright enough. It didn't matter if the curtains were drawn and there was still daylight. The boy always tried to make sure it was impossible to for his Quirk to go out of control. If there wasn't a risk of accidentally burning off his feathers, he'd carry a lighter on him at all times. He actually stole one from a Sister once.

Karasuma knelt down and placed a hand on his son's shoulders. "You will be fine, Fumikage."

"I just don't want to break anything or, or…," Tokoyami gulped down the rest of that sentence.

"I promise you, it's fine now," said Karasuma. "If something goes wrong, I'm right here."

The child still wasn't sure, as evident in the way he tugged at the hem of his white shirt. But then his father lifted him up off the floor and placed him down softly on the couch, right in between the two pink decorative throw pillows.

Karasuma turned on the TV and on screen appeared All Might. Automatically, Tokoyami was enraptured with the scene displayed before him. A ravaged city, everything engulfed in flames, and citizens crying out for help in every direction. But on top of the rubble stood a single man, holding onto a bunch of civilians as he smiled brilliantly at the camera.

"It's fine now. Why?" In unison, All Might and Karasuma said, "Because I am here!"

Tokoyami jolted in his seat, looking up at his father who was posed like old superheroes in the comics. Standing tall, fists on his hips, and chin tipped high. Of course, most of the comic book heroes were super muscular and was capable of showing off a smile. Although, maybe it was because they both possessed the heads of birds but Tokoyami could tell that Karasuma had a great smile in this moment.

"Yeah," Tokoyami giggled. "I'm fine now."

Karasuma relaxed and rubbed the top of Tokoyami's head. "Thatta boy."

-X-

The other kindergarteners were starting to have their Quirks manifest. They were getting increasingly curious about what Tokoyami's was since they'd never seen it before. But as per usual, Tokoyami was able to dodge their questions before running all the way home and locking himself in his room. Before the chest pangs could set in, he would quickly turn on the lights and plug in his night light.

It would be a quarter to eight before Karasuma returned from work. And as part of their daily routine, he would go to their shared room and knock three times.

"It's fine now," Karasuma would say through the wood.

Tokoyami would open the door, holding back his tears, but hiccuping the words, "Because you're here."

In order to break this cycle, Karasuma sat his son down on the roof of their building on one bright Saturday morning. They were going to practice talking with Tokoyami's Quirk. One month after they'd started living together, Tokoyami got over his fear of the night. Oftentimes wandering to the window, sliding it open, and trying to count the stars. But that didn't mean he wasn't still afraid of the dark.

"The nurses at your hospital apparently named your Quirk, Dark Shadow," said Karasuma, looking over the documents he'd gotten. "So… try bringing him out."

This was especially important training because Tokoyami mentioned wanting to be a hero. But there was no way he could do that without control over Dark Shadow. It would also be easier to make friends if he stopped running away from their questions.

"D...Dark Sh—Shadow," Tokoyami stammered.

Nothing happened.

In the five to six months the pair were living together, Dark Shadow had yet to make an appearance once. Or at least, never when Karasuma was looking. There had been times when Tokoyami was alone and Dark Shadow would just appear against the wall to talk. But the child was usually unresponsive during those times, not wanting anything to do with the Quirk people called a Curse.

Karasuma rubbed the underside of his beak with his finger. "Hm… Maybe it's shy? Does it not like me?"

"He said that he likes you," said Tokoyami. "He said you take good care of me so he likes you."

In other words, Dark Shadow actually cared about its host. Perhaps all those times the boy went berserk was simply because the Quirk was confused. There was a sudden surge of negative emotion coming from Tokoyami that the only way the Quirk knew how to react was to strike at those around them in an attempt to eliminate whatever was causing that emotion.

"Quirk analysts get paid way too much if even I can figure that out," Karasuma remarked.

"Mr. Karasuma," said Tokoyami. "Can I try again alone?"

From what they knew, Dark Shadow had never harmed Tokoyami before. It was also daytime, not a cloud in the sky, so it was unlikely for the Quirk to go crazy. There wasn't much to destroy on the rooftop in the first place.

"I'll be close," said Karasuma. "Call for me when Dark Shadow wants to meet."

Tokoyami nodded and watched his father walk to the door leading back downstairs. Pausing to look back and wave at the child. Then he stepped inside, keeping the door open just a crack so that he could still keep watch and hear them.

Tokoyami took a deep breath and looked straight ahead. They lived in a quiet neighborhood so there wasn't much noise. Preferable for Tokoyami. Dark Shadow too.

"Dark Shadow," he called.

From the boy's chest, a dark circle appeared. Within that blinked two yellow eyes. Slowly, the creature crawled out, hands on the floor, like a baby. Then it turned around to face its host, blinking a few times as if to make sure it was really looking at Tokoyami. It stayed that way between the two of them for the first couple of minutes that passed.

"Mr. Karasuma wants to meet you," said Tokoyami.

Dark Shadow glanced over at the door for a moment. "I know."

"Why didn't you come out earlier?"

"What if… he thinks I'm a Curse?"

Karasuma pulled himself away from the door. Dark Shadow was afraid of being seen as something other than a Quirk. The years of isolation and rejection didn't just have a negative impact on just the boy. Dark Shadow was also suffering. By all means, that sentient Quirk was born on the same day as its host, so Dark Shadow was an impressionable four year old child as well.

Tokoyami sat down on the floor, crossing his legs. The same way he always did in the orphanage. "If he did, he wouldn't have taken us."

"He took you," Dark Shadow corrected.

Tokoyami looked down. There were a lot of small jagged stones laying here and there. Debris from the slowly eroding concrete that made up the old building. The boy's sneaker was untied too, the plastic aglet sliding and scraping across the roof whenever he re-positioned himself to be comfortable. The shoelace caught onto some of the stones and dragged them a little bit.

"If he thinks you're a Curse," said Tokoyami, finally, "then we'll run away."

Dark Shadow's eyes widened. "But you like it here."

"We're a package deal," Tokoyami continued. "If he thinks you're a Curse, then he thinks I'm a Curse. And I don't want to be with someone who thinks that."

Dark Shadow knew that there were many times when Tokoyami wanted him gone. That's why the child was always wearing white and so obsessed with lights. There were even days when Tokoyami had wished that he had been born with a different Quirk out loud. Even when Dark Shadow wasn't there, he knew how his host was feeling.

"Okay," said Dark Shadow. "Can I… meet him now?"

Tokoyami smiled, turning towards the door. "Father!"

Karasuma reached for the doorknob but froze up. This was the first time Tokoyami called him that. It was always Mr. Karasuma before. So the man covered his beak, legs shaking, and tears falling down and sinking into the black feathers in his face. He never imagined that it would make him this happy to hear that one word.

"I'm coming!" Karasuma called back, wiping away at his face. "I'm coming."

-X-

Tokoyami got his own room at the age of six. They moved to a small suburban house on the edge of the Shizuoka Prefecture. Neither wanted to move too far away but they both agreed that it was time they found a place where they each got their own private space. The very thought had Tokoyami bouncing up and down in his seat as they drove ahead of the moving truck.

"What do you want to put in your room first?" asked Karasuma.

Tokoyami had plastic, glow-in-the-dark stars in a bag sitting on his lap. He wanted to dot the entire ceiling in as many constellations as he could, starting with Corvus the crow, since it was his favorite. He also wanted to start on his bookshelf. The first in that collection being the Diamonds in the Sky book which was filled with pretty pictures of the artistry on the night canvas. Even though he was a slow learner, it was his favorite to read even with the hard words.

Tokoyami looked up at his father, his red eyes bright. "The poster of Cthulhu!"

Ever so slowly, Karasuma wanted Tokoyami to embrace that which he feared. So window shopping the local occult shop was the first step. But while Tokoyami still didn't like the dark, he thought the black cloaks and the eldritch themes were cool. So in a way, they sort of made progress. It also got Tokoyami interested in something. A little too interested. But everyone needs a hobby.

"Right," Karasuma chuckled. "I figured. What about the cloaks?"

They were much too big for Tokoyami at the moment but he still wanted them. "I'll hang them on the wall. I'll grow as tall as you one day!"

Karasuma was actually of average height for a man in Japan. "I'm sure it'll happen."

The house was everything they could want for just the two of them plus Dark Shadow. It would take them all day but they had fun unpacking the boxes. On more than one occasion, Tokoyami would run through the empty rooms in one of his cloaks, letting it drag across the floor. Karasuma would put on the other one and they would pretend to be casting spells at each other like they were in a battle out of their magic movies.

"I am the warlock, Corvus!" Tokoyami roared.

Karasuma, sitting on the floor while folding their clothes would throw his son's hood on. It was so big, that it covered his entire bird head. "Small for a warlock, aren't you?"

"Hey!" Tokoyami giggled, throwing back the hood. "I'm still growing."

"I know you are." He placed all his son's clothes in a stack. Noticing less white clothes than there used to be. "Is Corvus going to be your hero name?"

Tokoyami shook his head. "It's my warlock name."

"Then your hero name?"

"Haven't thought about it yet."

Tokoyami opened up the bag of plastic stars and pulled out the crescent moon. On some nights, when he got tired of counting the stars, he would just stare up at the moon. Maybe it was because it was the brightest light in the dark or perhaps he simply thought it was pretty but his attention was always drawn to it.

Karasuma gently took the moon and raised it high above their heads. "What about Tsukuyomi?"

"Tsukuyomi?"

"I was going to give it to you on your birthday…" Karasuma grabbed the cardboard box that was labeled 'books' and searched through it until he found a hardcover copy of Japanese Deities. "Tsukuyomi is the god of the moon. There are many ways to interpret the spelling but one way is to separate it as 'Tsukiyo' and 'Mi'."

It was clear from his son's blank expression that the meaning was lost on him. "Ts—Tsukiyo…?"

"For 'moonlight night' and 'always watching'," explained Karasuma. "As in you're always looking after the citizens that need help. As every hero does."

Tokoyami took the book from his father's hands and pressed it to his chest. "Like you do for me?"

"Exactly." Karasuma used his large hands to cup his son's slanted cheeks, pulled him close, and kissed the top of his head. "I'll always be watching."

-X-

"This is all your fault!"

The hospital workers and patients turned to the ten year old standing in the middle of the hallway. At a distance, it looked as though he were yelling at his shadow on the wall. But upon closer inspection, they could see that the shadow had a physical form and floated directly in front of the child. One of nurses used to work at Shizuoka General so she recognized it right away.

"It's the Cursed Child," she whispered.

"Isn't he the one?"

"The reason why Tokoyami Karasuma…"

"How awful."

"I could never raise a child like that."

Shizuoka General was where a couple had been treated after suffering injuries from their child's uncontrollable Quirk. Which they referred to exclusively as a Curse. It even caught on to many of the employees at the hospital when they tried to take care of the infant. As soon as the lights were off and he started bawling, the monster would come out. A pro hero that could produce light was actually hired to stand by the door in order to prevent another incident.

Tokoyami turned heel and sprinted down the hallways. Dark Shadow was tagging close behind because it was impossible for them to be separated.

As Tokoyami was getting older, it was about time they started training him to become a hero since he wanted to get into the prestigious U.A. high school. They couldn't count on just Tokoyami's grades. It wasn't like he was stupid but it seemed he got overwhelmed easily. When he got too stressed about something, he had to sit by his skull-shaped lamp for hours before calming down. It was all to make sure Dark Shadow wouldn't go crazy.

But there needed to be some control. So Karasuma decided they should do night training once a week.

Everything was going fine at first. Tokoyami was gaining better control over his volatile emotions and Karasuma carried a powerful flashlight just in case. But that night, as they were heading home from their training, a car came careening down the street. The driver had passed out at the wheel because he was too drunk to stay conscious. And then…

Dark Shadow came out.

Tokoyami was frightened when Karasuma pushed him out of the way, thinking that his father would be killed in the ensuing crash. In that moment, the boy tried to pull his father towards him with his Quirk. Only to lose control due to the fear.

The oncoming car was totaled, being flipped over onto its roof. The driver inside awoke with a gasp as he tried unbuckle his seatbelt and unlock the door at the same time. Karasuma's flashlight had been knocked out of his hand as he threw his arms around his son, trying to soothe him.

"The headlights!" Karasuma shouted at the panicked driver who couldn't hear a thing. "Turn on your headlights!"

Tokoyami was sobbing and screaming and trying to push Karasuma off. "Get away! I'm hurting you!"

Neighbors woke up in the middle of the night to the chaos, immediately phoning in authorities. One brave woman stepped out in her nightgown and robe. As she got closer, her slipper touched the fallen flashlight which she turned on and pointed at Dark Shadow. With a hiss, the Quirk shrunk.

"Lights!" she screamed into the neighborhood. "Everyone turn on your lights!"

One by one, the houses glowed, lighting up the entire street. But it wasn't enough to quell the raging shadow beast. Not unless a lot of light was directed at it. That's when a bunch of patrol cars arrived, the light and noise from the sirens slowly but surely weakening the crazed beast. Once it was gone, Karasuma collapsed with bruises and gashes running across his arms and torso. He was unconscious. Tokoyami was also asleep, but uninjured.

Tokoyami marched all the way to the entrance but stopped at the automatic doors. If he were to step out into the night, sobbing as hard as he was, then Dark Shadow would surely cause more tragedies. So the boy just fell to his knees and wailed his heart out in the lobby until a nurse led him back to his father's room.

"Father?" Tokoyami called.

"Fumikage, thank goodness you're okay," said Karasuma, welcoming his son. Both his arms were in casts. "I'm fine now. Because you're here."

Tokoyami started tearing up again as he ran to the bedside. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I'm…"

If Karasuma could, he would hold Tokoyami close. "I'm fine. It wasn't your fault."

Tokoyami wanted so badly to believe those words. But when Karasuma was discharged from the hospital, they stopped doing night training. They ate dinner while the sun was still up, and then Karasuma would go into his room when darkness fell. They still spent their waking hours together when Karasuma wasn't hunting for a new job but it was clear that there was distance between them.

"Let's run away," said Dark Shadow one night.

"No," Tokoyami hissed. "I'm trying to do homework."

His Quirk wilted a little. "But you said we'd run if he saw us as a Curse."

"He doesn't," Tokoyami said through grit teeth. "Now leave me alone."

The two grew silent again. But even though Tokoyami held a grudge towards his Quirk, there was no denying that he would feel lonely without Dark Shadow. After all, he's stayed committed to keeping an emotional distance from everyone at school so that he wouldn't have to hurt them. They like him, they think he's cool, but they can't invite him anywhere when all he says is, "I have to go home."

Dark Shadow hovered over his host's shoulder for a little while longer before retreating. "I'm sorry."

"Why…," Tokoyami croaked out when he was completely alone. His mechanical pencil clattered to the floor as teardrops fell onto the algebraic graphs that he still didn't understand no matter how much extra time his teachers gave him. "Why do I feel so alone without you?"

-X-

"Are you ready to ace that entrance exam?"

The teenager looked up from the pages of Edgar Allan Poe and over at Dark Shadow across from him, positioned as if he was seated. They had inevitably gotten closer over the years. After all, one could only take the silence in his own room for so long. So Dark Shadow filled it with banter on the nights when Tokoyami was especially despondent.

"It won't be easy," said Tokoyami. "I'll probably just scrape by on the written exam."

Dark Shadow laughed. "Yeah, you seem smart but you really are a bird brain!"

"I thought you were supposed to cheer me on," Tokoyami chuckled. "Well, regardless, we'll definitely pass the practical exam."

"You bet we will!"

Tokoyami wanted to get stronger. The best place for that was U.A. Many aspiring heroes would be trying to get into the school so the competition would be fierce. He even recognized some kids from his school passing by him. They were enthralled in discussions with each other while he sat by himself on the bench. But one thing they had common was that they were all nervous. Although Tokoyami didn't exactly show it. He was confident in his abilities. With all their training, Dark Shadow became truly powerful.

He was also doing this as a redemption of sorts. Tokoyami wanted to help one hundred times the people he ended up hurting in his lifetime. Karasuma, the man who took him in when even his biological parents didn't want him, counted for the lives of thousands. That's why Tokoyami set his sights on becoming the number one hero.

Soon, the students were directed into a room that looked to be a lecture hall. Inside, Tokoyami noticed one student that could easily be mistaken for an adult man. Over 180 centimeters, had six muscular arms, and seemed perfectly calm. It was rather intimidating to be in his presence. The other students looked to be trying to stay level-headed as well. There was a girl discreetly listening to music with an earphone jack connected to her head and a tall boy with a rock for a head holding a charm close to his chest and mumbling a mantra to himself.

 _I wonder what they're going to make us do_ , Tokoyami wondered as the pro hero, Present Mic entered the room.

A girl with a side ponytail destroyed another three point robot with her giant fists. Her athletic ability was on par with the guys. Possibly more so as she leapt from one place to another, pulling kids out of the way that didn't know they were in danger of being crushed. She only had twelve points yet she concerned herself with protecting other exam takers.

"She's like a true hero," Dark Shadow remarked.

"Focus," said Tokoyami. "There's another robot on your right! Thirty points!"

Another student with a hardening Quirk was doing the exact opposite of the girl. Turning his entire body into metal, he plunged straight through the robots, wrecking them one by one. There was little to no doubt that he was probably going to pass the exam with one of the top scores.

Time was running out. But that's when the zero-pointer showed up. Immediately, everyone made a break for it.

"What the hell?" Dark Shadow blanched. "Are they trying to kill some students?"

Tokoyami had to agree that this was absurd. But as he ran, he noticed some other robots still trying to attack students. And with everyone distracted with the giant one, it was sometimes hard to notice. But with Dark Shadow keeping eyes behind them, Tokoyami could see in front. The girl with the big hands about to run right into a two-point robot that had its eyes set on her.

"Target found."

"Watch out!"

Both he and the hardening Quirk guy jumped in at the same time. While Tokoyami used his body to shield the girl, the other guy smashed the robot.

"Time's up!"

In the end, because both of them jumped in to help, they got ten rescue points each. Add that to Tokoyami's forty-seven villain points and he was able to pass the exam with a total of fifty-seven. It was more filling to hear the girl he saved thank him though. Like he was really on his way to becoming a hero because of that one action.

"Congratulations on making it into U.A.!"

Tokoyami played back the recording over and over again. It was one thing to get in but to hear it from the mouth of All Might was unbelievable. There were tabloid articles saying that the number one hero was in Musutafu but to think that he was there to teach at U.A. felt like the chance of the lifetime to learn from the best.

There was a knock at the door. "Fumikage," came Karasuma's voice. "I just got home, did you already eat?"

Tokoyami threw open the door. "Father!" He pointed at the holographic screen. "I got into U.A.!"

"You got in?"

"I got in!"

Karasuma dropped the plastic bag of groceries he was holding and just threw his arms around his son's body, lifting him up into the air and spinning. Tokoyami was caught completely off guard. Hadn't it been five years since they last had this much physical contact? Regardless, Tokoyami returned the gesture and they both laughed, filling the house with the most noise it's heard in a long time.

"I can't believe this," Karasuma smiled, letting go. "You got in!" Then a pause. "Is that All Might?"

Tokoyami snorted, trying to hold back his laughter. "He's going to be teaching at U.A. Also, father, look!"

On screen was a display, showing the top ten students during the practical exam. Ranked right at number nine was the name, Tokoyami Fumikage. Once again, causing Karasuma to erupt into cheers about how strong his son is.

"Let's order out tonight," said Karasuma. "What do you want? I'll get anything."

Tokoyami felt like someone had offered him a huge gift. It wasn't just passing the exams, it was closing the gap that he'd been feeling between them for so long. Maybe it had been all in his imagination to begin with but he was just so happy to know that it was gone.

"Ah! You're crying! Do you need tissues?"

"I'm fine," Tokoyami sniffed. "Now that you're here."

-X-X-X-

On the first day of class, familiar names popped up. Bakugou Katsuki, who hit the top spot without rescuing anyone, and Midoriya Izuku, who got in with only rescue points. There was also Uraraka Ochaco, Iida Tenya, and Eijirou Kirishima, all of whom were also in the top ten. Six-armed guy, earphone girl, and rock head were in the same class as well. There was even a floating girl's uniform.

"Now that I think about it," Dark Shadow whispered. "Weren't there robots being destroyed by something we couldn't see?"

"One or two," said Tokoyami. "She must've racked up in rescue points."

Earphone girl stopped twirling the wires coming out from behind her ears and glanced over at him. "Hm? Aren't you… Tokoyami Fumikage?"

"I am," Tokoyami nodded. "Do I know you?"

"I'm not surprised you don't recognize me," she said. "I'm a friend of one of your classmates in middle school. I visited once for your culture festival. I'm Jirou Kyouka."

Now that Tokoyami thought about it, there had been a girl in his class that introduced someone from another school to everyone. But of course, it would be difficult to miss Tokoyami. In a class that was doing the classic maid cafe and everyone had on white aprons and smocks, his head stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Nice to meet you Jirou," said Tokoyami.

"You too," Jirou smiled. "Let's get along this year." Then a pause. "I love your choker by the way."

Tokoyami touched the band around his neck. "Thanks."

"If you're here to socialize then get out."

Everyone in class froze and looked to the door. They couldn't see past the three students standing there but it was clear someone had spoken just beyond them. Much to their surprise, a figure seemed to rise from the floor and while they weren't sure, it looked like a cocoon of sorts. It then molted to reveal a haggard-looking man. As it would turn out, this was their homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shota.

Their teacher held out a uniform to Midoriya. "Change into your gym clothes and head out to the school grounds."

When they were told that the person who ranked the lowest on this Quirk apprehension test would be expelled, everyone was shocked. Bakugou's score for the demonstration was intimidating as it was without such a threat looming over their heads. But still, Tokoyami was determined not to lose to a guy who shouts for a ball to die when throwing it.

The 50-meter dash was the first event. It was no surprise to anyone that Iida Tenya would have the best score for that one.

Tokoyami's physical capabilities weren't bad. Being told that they were allowed to use their Quirk in any way they knew how was useful as well. Especially after seeing Yaoyorozu Momo create a motorized scooter for the event. But Dark Shadow couldn't enhance his speed so he stuck with the 5.6 seconds score that he got.

Grip strength was the next event. Unsurprisingly, those with strength enhancing quirks like Satou Rikido scored high.

"Five hundred forty kilograms?!" Sero Hanta shouted. "What are you, a gorilla? Or an octopus?"

Everyone looked over to the six-armed guy who they all knew as Shouji Mezo now. With three hands on the device, he nearly crushed it to bits. Tokoyami found himself staring at the way those muscles rippled as they were flexed, the veins that popped through his skin, and the strength they seemed to exude in general.

"Oh?" Jirou grinned, leaning closer. "Are you the type to like muscles?"

Tokoyami nearly jumped out of his skin. Dark Shadow, who was wrapped around his arm, jolted, increasing the output of energy because of the sudden spike of emotion. Looking down, the device said two hundred kilograms. Even Tokoyami didn't know that Dark Shadow had that much strength.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Tokoyami, feigning cool.

Jirou decided to change topics, looking over at Yaoyorozu who was making a vice from her forearm. "But man that girl that got in through recommendations. If it weren't for the fact that we're allowed to use our Quirk in any way, that would totally be considered cheating."

"Five hundred kilograms," Yaoyorozu reported out loud.

Tokoyami noticed how long it took for her to create it though. "Kind of slow though."

The next event was the standing long jump. At this point, Tokoyami was no longer worried about being the one expelled. Midoriya, Mineta, Hagakure, and a few others were getting very average scores so far. It was kind of disappointing since the mere fact that Midoriya got sixty points in just rescue points made him curious about just what the green-haired boy could do. But nothing that interesting had happened. Even the long jump.

Tokoyami, on the other hand, leapt into the air and then Dark Shadow popped out, hitting the sand and propelling the host farther. It wasn't as impressive as Aoyama and Bakugou. And certainly not as much as Todoroki Shoto who jumped high vertically and then created a slide made from ice, leading far, far away from everyone else's end spots.

Surprisingly, Mineta actually got the best score in the side-step event. Apparently, he couldn't stick to the balls he dropped and just bounced off them.

"Man, that looks uncool," said Kaminari Denki.

Ojiro Mashirao nodded in agreement. "But I guess if it works for him."

Next was the throwing event. Everyone was blown away by Uraraka's score of infinity but that came as no surprise given the nature of her Quirk. But at this point, no one had any major expectations of Midoriya. But right after the first failed pitch courtesy of Aizawa's erasing Quirk… Midoriya pulled off something unbelievable. Somehow, some way, Midoriya got 0.1 meters farther than even Bakugou.

In the end, Midoriya still ranked the lowest. But Tokoyami felt humbled by that day. It seemed, some people truly shouldn't be underestimated.

"Yaoyorozu got the top spot," Jirou remarked, noting that she was ranked seventeen. No surprise, her Quirk wasn't all too helpful in most events.

"She did use a cannon for the ball throwing event," said Tokoyami, feeling proud of taking the fifth spot.

Jirou then noticed something. "Hey, that guy you like is right below."

"Who said I liked him?!" Tokoyami snapped.

-X-

As time went on, Midoriya continued to impress class A. With their first lesson with All Might, it was thanks to Midoriya's plan that the hero team won. Tokoyami knew that the only reason he and Tsuyu were able to come out victorious was because Yaoyorozu and Mineta didn't quite get along.

Then there was the invasion at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. While he didn't see it for himself, he overheard Kirishima avidly recounting what he witnessed. Apparently, that involved All Might being in danger and Midoriya jumping into action. Of course, had it not been for Todoroki and Bakugou, things would've gotten seriously bad for their freckled classmate.

It was during this particular event that Tokoyami revealed one of his secrets to a classmate. He and Koda Koji ended up in the Downpour Zone.

"It's dark," Tokoyami had remarked before acknowledging their enemies.

Koda, even though he was trembling in fear, was trying his best to stand tall. He tried signing, "What do we do?"

"We hold them back until help arrives," said Tokoyami. "But Koda… are you okay with being bait?"

It was during the Quirk apprehension test that they learned Koda's Quirk was the ability to control animals by speaking to them. Koda already had exceptional strength but combine that with a bird with strong talons and he was able to get the second highest score on the ball throwing event. It just wasn't as flashy as using explosions, cannons, or ice. In any case, no animals could get into USJ at that time. So they had to depend on Dark Shadow.

"I won't let you get hurt," Tokoyami promised. "One more thing. Try not to get me riled up. Since it's dark, I'm stronger, but my control is weaker."

Koda nodded, showing that he understood.

Tokoyami noted that he would talk to Koda later. He liked quiet people, it was practically calming to be in their presence. It was strange but Tokoyami entered U.A. thinking of his classmates as rivals. But getting along with them as well as he was felt comforting. It was like the emotional distance he put between himself and others in middle school had crumbled away.

Tokoyami wanted to get closer to others. And after these events, there was no one he wanted to know more than Midoriya. So when he was asked to join the other boy's team for the cavalry battle in the sports festival, it felt like the perfect chance.

"Third place!" Karasuma laughed uproariously at the dinner table. "I knew you were strong but you keep on surpassing my expectations!"

Tokoyami felt immense pride swelling up in him as he blew on his chowder. "Well I wouldn't have made it that far without Midoriya."

Likewise, Midoriya said the same thing about Tokoyami. And about Uraraka and Hatsume as well. The fact still remained that it was because of Midoriya that all four of them formed a team to begin with. One that worked surprisingly well given the fact that they were the target of everyone else on the field and they had never worked together before.

"That kid was pretty amazing too," Karasuma admitted. "I mean, he made it to number one in the first event without even using his Quirk!"

Tokoyami had to admit, there were lots of amazing kids in his class. The only reason he was able to beat Yaoyorozu and Ashido was because Dark Shadow was advantageous against them. Had he faced Iida or Todoroki instead of Bakugou, he might've even advanced to the last round. Provided that Todoroki didn't use his fire powers that is.

Karasuma glanced at the clock. "Oh, I need to go."

Once Tokoyami started learning how to cook for himself, his father returned to his original occupation of being a pilot. That meant they barely got to see each other. Tokoyami had to wonder if it was to stay as far away from him as possible. Or at least, that was the initial reason. Ever since the distance was first closed on admissions day, Karasuma's been trying to get as many off days as possible although it wasn't easy.

"Where are you flying to now?" asked Tokoyami.

"Sweden," said Karasuma. "Do you want anything from there?"

"Not that I can think of." Tokoyami watched from afar as his father got ready to do. There hadn't been much hugging since that day. Just more communication and eating together. For the moment, that was enough. "Fly safely."

"I will," Karasuma promised. "Good luck with your internship… Tsukuyomi."

"Yeah."

-X-

After the chaos that followed the capture of hero killer Stain, it was time for final exams. At some point, Midoriya gained some control over his Quirk, no longer breaking his bones to use it. Tokoyami felt that he was somehow falling behind. Especially considering he ranked fourteenth in the entire class when it came to academics so the final exams landed on his head like a brick.

"My math score is really bad as usual," Tokoyami muttered.

"Your best scores are in Japanese and history," remarked Dark Shadow. "Even those aren't anything to be proud of."

Kaminari and Ashido were at the bottom but under the tutelage of Yaoyorozu, they would surely be fine. But then Jirou, Ojiro, and Sero all asked for help as well. Two of them were in the top ten too so it was clear they were just nervous. It made sense, if they were to fail either the written or the practical portion, then they would be barred from going to the summer training camp with everyone else.

"Ah, but what a surprise," Ashido sighed. "Tokoyami turned out to be one of us."

Kaminari nodded along. "I really thought he was intelligent but it turned out to be a facade."

"Is your cool a façade too?" they both asked simultaneously.

Tokoyami completely gave them the cold shoulder, turning to Jirou instead. "You're ranked seventh, why do you need help?"

"From cool to cold," Ashido and Kaminari drooped.

The Hearing hero turned over to her classmate. "All my grades are pretty good except for math. I think I just have a tough time concentrating in Ectoplasm-sensei's class. What about you? Don't you need help? I'm sure Yaoyorozu doesn't care how many students she gets."

"No, you're already sharing her attention with four others," said Tokoyami.

Jirou felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "Wha—What is that supposed to mean?"

"Besides, I learn better in one on one sessions," Tokoyami continued. "I'll just ask Ectoplasm—."

Jirou suddenly called over the attention of another one of their classmates. "Shouji, math is your best subject right?" Tokoyami realized exactly what she was doing immediately but she placed a hand over his beak to keep him from saying anything. "Tokoyami really struggles in it, think you can tutor him?"

While there were others in class with better grades than Shouji, they all had their own circumstances surrounding why they couldn't take friends under their wings. Midoriya and Iida preferred studying on their own. Todoroki and Bakugou most likely wouldn't be able to communicate very well how the more complicated concepts worked. As for the others in the top ten, individually speaking, Shouji got a better score in math than them, ranking seventh in the class for that subject.

"I don't mind," said Shouji. "Do you want me to go over to your place, Tokoyami?"

Now that he's agreed, Tokoyami felt like he couldn't back out. "Uh, yeah, after school would be fine."

Jirou had a huge smirk on her face as if to say, "That's what you get."

Now that Tokoyami thought about it, he'd never invited a single friend to his house before. Technically that was still the case since it wasn't his idea to begin with to have Shouji come over. But it was true that he needed help with math badly. The number of times he'd been called into the faculty office to be personally chewed out by Ectoplasm was plentiful.

"We can work at the dinner table," said Tokoyami, unlocking the front door. "Father won't be home for a while so we have the house to ourselves."

Shouji nodded as he entered the abode. Immediately, he was drawn to the bedroom door in the house with a sign that read KEEP OUT in big bloody letters. It was no doubt to be Tokoyami's room but Shouji never imagined anyone older than ten to have something like that.

"Do you want tea or coffee?" asked Tokoyami.

"Just water's fine," Shouji replied.

As soon as the beverages were out, the two of them sat down together at the dining table with their books and papers out in front of them. The place they would have to start was anything Tokoyami didn't understand. But as soon as his red eyes met the page of equations, they started spinning.

"Sorry," Tokoyami murmured. "I've been told that I'm a slow learner so thank you for your patience."

Shouji nodded. "Of course. I'm not as good with Japanese as you are at least."

"That's a bit of a surprise," Tokoyami chuckled. "I couldn't even read until I was five."

"Reading is fine but analyzing texts is different," Shouji confessed. As soon as he finished reading a passage, it would never occur to him that there could be double meanings since he took things rather literally. Metaphors, similes, and hyperboles were completely lost on Shouji. "Do you think you can help me with that when we make some progress with your math?"

"Of course," Tokoyami smiled.

The pair doubled down on their work. Discussing what it was they could do to improve or better understand a certain concept. Without realizing it, they ended up working for three hours straight. They only brought their noses out of their books when Tokoyami's stomach growled.

"It's really late," Shouji remarked, checking the time on his phone. "Is it alright if I stay here for tonight?"

"Sure," said Tokoyami. "You can sleep in Father's room." Tokoyami got up to cook dinner for the two of them in meantime, checking the fridge for its contents. "I'll make us something to eat. Do you have any allergies or preferences?"

Shouji's hometown was all the way in the Fukuoka Prefecture which was hundreds of kilometers down south of Musutafu and would take over five hours by train to get from one place to the other. So he lived in an apartment near U.A. like many other students do. But Tokoyami was born and raised in Shizuoka so it seemed strange.

"Does your father not come home often?" asked Shouji.

Tokoyami nodded as he closed the fridge. "He's a pilot so he goes around flying everywhere." He grabbed his black hoodie from the coat rack, throwing it on over his head. "I need to go buy some groceries. You can stay here but… just don't go into my room."

"Let me go with you," said Shouji. He had a history of helping people carry their bags or baby carriages and the elderly up staircases with the use of his Dupli-Arms Quirk. "Besides, if I stay, I'll be too curious not to look in your room."

Tokoyami thought about the bat wing decals on his air conditioner and the decorative sword and shield that he bought off Amazon last week. No matter how cool he thought they were personally, it was much too embarrassing to allow anyone else to see. No one would, could, and should ever be allowed to see, especially not Shouji of all people.

"Alright, but don't go carrying everything just because you've got six arms," said Tokoyami. "I'll feel bad."

"Understood," Shouji chuckled.

The pair went to the local convenience store since they agreed it was much too late to actually make something. They roamed the aisles, telling each other memories related to certain products or how long it had been since they had something. They got two ramen cups and octopus onigiri as well as a few other snacks like Pocky and Yan Yan, chocolate for Tokoyami and strawberry for Shouji.

"Is octopus onigiri good?" asked Tokoyami as they headed back, taking a bite of a Pocky stick.

Shouji, who ate by morphing his hands into mouths, offered part of his riceball. "Try it."

Tokoyami leaned forward, taking a bite of it. The chewiness of the octopus made it a little hard to swallow but otherwise, not a bad taste. It only hit him afterwards that Shouji's mouth had made contact with it only moments earlier. Did that count as an indirect kiss? Or was it too crumbly? But Shouji used one of his morphed hands, not his real mouth. Did that count?

"You have some rice on your beak," said Shouji, plucking the sticky grain off. "Hm? You're heating up. Tokoyami… Are you getting sick?"

Tokoyami flinched, snapping out of his thoughts. "Uh, no, I'm fine." He started speeding up his pace. "Come on, let's hurry home."

Thanks to Shouji's teachings, Tokoyami was able to make some progress with his understanding of mathematical equations and formulas. On the day of the written test, he was able to stay focused on the math portion. At the moment, he didn't know whether he passed or failed but he had to focus on the practical part of the exams now. There'd be no point to all that studying if he failed that.

"Pleasure to be working with you again, Asui," said Tokoyami.

The amphibious classmate nodded. "Likewise, ribbit. We should come up with a strategy to counter Ectoplasm-sensei, ribbit."

They both agreed that at their current level, there was no chance in them being able to defeat a pro hero even if he was handicapped. Their best option was to run away. Tsuyu also figured that everyone was matched against heroes that would be their weak point. That was obvious from the moment Jirou and Koda were told their opponent would be Present Mic.

"Even handicapped, the teachers have an advantage other than experience," said Tokoyami. "Match up."

Close range, non-defensive fighters like Shouji and Hagakure would be facing Snipe, someone who only fought from a distance. Those with time limits for their brute strength like Kirishima and Satou would be in trouble against the defensive and stamina-excessive Cementoss. In a battle of brains or lack thereof, Ashido and Kaminari were up against Principal Nezu. And those more suitable for capture like Sero and Mineta wouldn't even be able to get close to someone like Midnight.

Dark Shadow popped out. "What weaknesses do I have? Unless Ectoplasm can produce light, we should be fine!"

"True," Tokoyami agreed. "I can't imagine Asui being at a disadvantage here either."

"We still shouldn't underestimate him, ribbit."

It was as Tsuyu said. Ectoplasm came at the pair with everything he had, sending several clones to fight them at once, trying to overwhelm them. They were able to push their way past as they made their way towards the exit but it was becoming increasingly clear to Tokoyami what his weakness was. Whenever the clones got too close, he would stumble, unsure of his next move. He'd depended on Dark Shadow to keep enemies at a distance for a while now. He even used Koda as a decoy back in USJ.

As for Tsuyu, she didn't seem to have any notable weak point. She kept a cool head and made good judgment calls.

If it weren't for the fact that Tsuyu lacked above average speed and power, there would be no doubt that Tsuyu would've stood closer to the top of the class. If it weren't for her, Tokoyami surely would've failed this test. That much became clear when it was thanks to her that they could get the handcuffs on their sensei.

"Tokoyami," said Ectoplasm, before the students could go see Recovery Girl. "I already graded the math sections."

Dark Shadow hid behind its host. "Uh oh, here it comes."

"You've improved significantly," Ectoplasm told him. He turned towards the exit. "Keep up the good work next term."

Tokoyami was surprised to hear that. Not only did that mean he passed but he must've gotten a really good score to receive praise from Ectoplasm of all people.

"I will," Tokoyami bowed.

"Congratulations, Tokoyami-kun, ribbit," said Tsuyu.

"Well, it was really thanks to Shouji," Tokoyami smiled. "I'll have to thank him somehow afterwards."

Tsuyu cocked her head to the side. "Tokoyami-kun… you look really happy."

"Hm? Oh, uh, I guess… I am…"

-X-

It was a relief to the entire class that everyone was allowed to go to the summer training camp. The five that failed were absolutely ecstatic although the fact that they would have to take remedial lessons did put a damper on the mood. In order to prepare for the trip, they all went to Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall together as a class, minus Todoroki and Bakugou. But not long after arrival, everyone was splitting off to get their own things.

"Shouji," said Tokoyami, approaching the older boy. "I never got to properly thank you for your help with tutoring."

"It's fine," Shouji replied. "Thanks to you, my Japanese grade went up as well."

"I'm glad. I was worried I didn't explain things very well."

"You're more articulate than you think."

The pair was in need for some new outdoors clothes, Tokoyami in particular. The bird-man was starting to realize that if he wanted to get stronger, he would have to train his own physical body. He couldn't always rely on others to come protect him or even Dark Shadow. But a strong body would not be easy to attain. He heard from Midoriya that the other boy trained for ten months straight and continued a tough training regiment still.

"A shop for people with specific body aberrations," said Tokoyami, reading the fine print on a sign.

Shouji posed like the six-armed mannequin in the window. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he looked over at his classmate. "What do you think?"

Now that Tokoyami thought about it, Shouji didn't wear many shirts with sleeves. It's possible that he cuts them off before putting them on. Although if he did wear sleeves, it would cover up the muscles that Shouji undoubtedly worked hard to gain. And Tokoyami often stared at involuntarily.

"Did you always work out?" asked Tokoyami.

"Hm?" Shouji glanced down at his arms. "Ah, well, unlike Dark Shadow, I have to depend on my strength to fight."

That made sense. And there was a thought running through Tokoyami's head but he wasn't sure if he should ask this favor of his classmate who'd already done so much in the week leading up to their exams. But before he could finish contemplating the possible responses, Dark Shadow came out from his back, "Think you can be Tokoyami's personal trainer?"

"Dark Shadow!"

"I'm fine with that," said Shouji, blunt as ever.

It was so straightforward of a reply that Tokoyami almost received whiplash. "R—Really? Uh, well…"

It was around that time that police arrived on scene. An announcement went off in the mall, telling everyone to remain calm as a villain had been sighted within the premises. Both heroes in training reacted quickly, running out of the store and looking for their classmates. Hearing that a bad guy was near could mean that one of them had been targeted.

"Midoriya and Uraraka are down there talking to police," Shouji noticed.

"So it did have something to do with them," Tokoyami muttered. "That League of Villains… what do they want with us?"

The answer came sooner than he would have expected. At the forest lodge, on the night they were doing a test of courage, they were attacked. It was supposed to be a secret, one-week retreat for the students to train as well as unwind so they were supposed to be safe. But then the forest went up in flames.

Tokoyami and Shouji ended up paired together for this event. As they were following the trail marked for them, there was a sound, like a sword whizzing through the air. Shouji raised an ear, trying to listen for it but when he realized the danger getting closer and he instinctively tried to shield Tokoyami, letting out an involuntary yelp of pain. They both hid in the bushes but that's when Tokoyami saw the wound.

Shouji's hand was cut clean off his body, blood dripping down from the wound and sinking into the dirt. All Tokoyami could think about was arms closing around him and black claws digging into the skin, tearing them apart. The fear rushed through Tokoyami's body as his heart began trying to escape from his ribcage and the thought of someone hurting Shouji further, caused him to lose complete control over himself.

"Tokoyami?!" Shouji shouted, as he got knocked back by the shadow.

"Shouji!" Tokoyami yelled back. "Stay away from me!"

The things that happened next went by in a horrible blur. Shouji was trying to save him. Rushing in no matter how many times he was blown back by Dark Shadow. At some point, Midoriya showed up, looking like he had gone through a meat grinder and survived. But still, the two were trying to come up with a way to save Tokoyami.

"Forget about me!" Tokoyami yelled at them. "Find and save the others!"

Shouji sent a glare towards Tokoyami. "I am not the type to abandon a friend."

"I'll save both," Midoriya added from the larger guy's back. "Kacchan and you, Tokoyami."

In the end, only Tokoyami was saved. Shouji was able to reach out and grab the ball he was turned into after Aoyama, hiding in the bushes, shot the kidnapper's mask with his laser. But how was Tokoyami going to face everyone when he needed to be rescued twice in one night? Not only that but he was supposed to be protecting Bakugou from the back of the group yet he failed.

The police took three incapacitated villains into custody while the firefighters made sure the forest fire wouldn't spread. In the meantime, the emergency paramedics were looking after the fifteen students that were rendered unconscious due to the poisonous gas as well as the eleven that sustained both minor and grave injuries. Between both classes, thankfully only Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, and Tetsutetsu suffered the worst. Tokoyami and Shouji were looked after as well.

"He's back?"

"Another person got hurt?"

"What if he kills someone next?"

"U.A. or not, the Cursed Child is dangerous!"

Tokoyami wasn't sure if it was all in his head or if the doctors and nurses were just that vocal about seeing him again. After the doctor made certain that he wasn't suffering from any internal wounds, he was discharged. Shouji was in a similar situation, needing nothing more than a couple of bandages and a recommendation for rest.

They made eye contact with each other in the hallway. The medical practitioners that knew Tokoyami from before this incident was abuzz in hushed tones. He wanted to run back into the room and hide under the covers.

"Are you okay?" asked Shouji.

Tokoyami looked up, just now realizing that his friend had closed the distance between them while he was looking away. Even after everything, Tokoyami was being worried about by the very person he hurt. "I'm fine." Tokoyami's eyes landed on the bandages. "What about you?"

"My hand grew back," said Shouji. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Of course I'll worry about you."

"...And I'll worry about you."

-X-

A lot happened afterwards. The loss of All Might's power and news of his retirement spread like wildfire, causing an uproar through the hero world. After that, U.A. began to change as well. Karasuma flew back as soon as he possibly could when he heard that his son lost control of his Quirk again, taking a few days off to stay with him. That's when All Might and Aizawa showed up at their house.

"Dorming huh," Karasuma sighed.

All Might bowed his head. The teachers had been going around to all the students with parents in the prefecture first before visiting the others. There was no need to convince Bakugou's and Jirou's parents as they readily agreed to having their kids live on campus. Endeavor had said he didn't care so long as Todoroki became a proper hero at his alma mater. The only issue they encountered thus far was with Midoriya Inko but they were able to persuade her in the end.

"I understand if you have reservations about this," said All Might. "But we assure you that we will do everything to protect our students."

Aizawa nodded along with the former hero. "We think that having dorms will be the best way for us to protect them."

Tokoyami had mentioned the new situation with his father before but they never got to talk about whether or not Karasuma would agree to it. It was always difficult to discern how Karasuma was feeling unless he was verbally communicating it. But then Karasuma put down the papers and looked over at his son.

"U.A. was always your dream school," said Karasuma. "How can I take that away from you after you've worked so hard?"

A great weight lifted from Tokoyami's shoulders. "Thank you, Father. I'll come visit home, of course."

"You better," Karasuma chuckled. "It's lonely here without you."

There were just two particular issues about living with his classmates though neither really occurred to Tokoyami until encountering problem number one on night one. It was all because the girls wanted to see who had the best room. He should've pretended to be asleep but it was too late for that as everyone saw the madhouse of darkness that was his room. But the second problem came the next morning.

As of late, Tokoyami had begun sleeping with the lights on. It wasn't easy since the light made it hard for him to feel sleepy. But if everything was dark, he'd suffer from insomnia due to nightmares. To him, it was better to get some sleep than no sleep.

As he sluggishly got ready for the day, Tokoyami opened the door and saw Shouji down the hall in the staircase. Immediately, he closed the door.

Aoyama, leaving the adjacent room, flinched when he heard the slam. "Pardon?"

"Was that Tokoyami just now?" asked Midoriya.

"Oui, but then he just left," said Aoyama. "I wonder if something's wrong."

Mineta was the other guy living on their floor. "Maybe he just remembered that we're living close to the girls so he needed to 'take care of business' before going out." He crossed his arms, shut his eyes, and nodded in approval. "I can respect that."

Shouji marched right past the three of them. "Don't compare Tokoyami to yourself."

The guys noticed that his tone was different. Had they ever heard him angry before? But it was only because Shouji knew that their friend in question was deliberately avoiding him. After all, they had made eye contact with each other a fraction of a second before the door closed. So Shouji could piece together what the issue was and he told the others to go eat breakfast as he knocked on Tokoyami's door.

"You go on ahead," said Tokoyami, back against the wood. "There's something I… need to take care of."

Shouji blinked a few times before taking a few steps back. He stood there, completely still and waiting patiently, not making a sound. A whole minute passed before the door opened up again and Tokoyami stuck his head out. Upon seeing Shouji less than a meter away, he tried to slam the door shut once more but Shouji stopped it with a hand, forcing himself inside.

Tokoyami tried to leave the room instead, anything to avoid being alone with Shouji. But he felt his wrist being grabbed rather tightly and then the door swung shut, banging against the frame. All of sudden, Tokoyami's back was once again against the door but this time, with Shouji in front of him, hands on either side of his head, keeping him from escaping. There was also no place to look that didn't have Shouji in view.

"We need to talk," said Shouji. That was definitely anger.

Tokoyami felt like he was trapped in a cheesy film. "We won't be able to get breakfast if—."

"This is more important," Shouji interjected, relaxing a bit. "Sit."

Tokoyami was on the edge of his bed. Shouji sat cross-legged in front of him on the floor. They both stared at each other in silence at first.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Shouji finally asked.

Even the previous night, when the entire class was parading through the whole building, checking out everyone's rooms, there was a wall. Tokoyami had put physical distance in between them. Despite the fact that there were apologies given, it seemed Tokoyami was still unable to forgive himself for what had happened that night.

"Pre-emptive strike?" Tokoyami murmured.

Shouji leaned in closer. "What?"

"Fumikage," said Dark Shadow, peeking out. "Should we just tell him?"

Involuntarily, tears began welling up in Tokoyami's eyes as he took a deep breath. "I… didn't want you to… become like Father."

"...What do you mean?"

The cold liquid rolled down the boy's face, hanging onto the end of his beak for a second before falling down into his lap. "You must've… heard what they said at the hospital." In between every other word he sniffed and hiccuped as he tried to compose himself. "The… Cursed Child they kept mentioning… it's me. I… in the past… hurt a lot of people. Father… was one of them."

"So they called me a Curse instead of a Quirk," said Dark Shadow.

In the span of ten minutes, an abridged version of Tokoyami's life story was spilled out into the room. His biological parents that couldn't keep him for more than a week, the orphanage that was filled with kids that simultaneously teased and feared him, and then Karasuma who was his hero. But then one night, everything went wrong and Karasuma… no longer spent nights with his son. It all came out in just one blubbery spurt.

Shouji got up from the floor. With his top two hands, he wiped away Tokoyami's tears, tilting his head upwards to get a better look.

"Tokoyami, if I was afraid of you," said Shouji. "If I wanted to avoid you. Would I be here right now?"

His hands were large… and warm. "No… I guess you wouldn't."

Shouji took a step back, reaching up to his mask and slowly pulling it down, unveiling a wide mouth, stretching from one side of his jaw to the other. When he parted his lips, rows of sharp teeth that looked powerful enough to tear through iron were exposed to the open air. Tokoyami's breath hitched in his throat.

"When I was a kid," said Shouji, "I was looked at like a villain. People would tap me on the back or call my name, I'd turn around… and they'd recoil in fear. People would avoid me, thinking that I must be the child of a villain. They'd name off a few they thought I was related to… made up chants or songs about it. I started wearing my mask to avoid that kind of thing."

Tokoyami got up from the bed, reaching up and softly brushed his knuckles over Shouji's jawline. "I… I personally think your face is beautiful.

"For some reason," said Shouji, his face breaking out into a little smile, voice growing quiet, "I figured you'd say that."

The pair stared at each other, bodies nearly pressed up against each other. Their minds were fuzzy so it was hard to think clearly and their hearts were pounding in their eardrums. But then the door flew open, Kaminari waltzing in without really looking at the scene before them.

"You guys are going to be…" Kaminari trailed off when he saw them. "...late." Tokoyami and Shouji, realizing how their position looked, quickly pulled away from each other, both red in the face. But Kaminari didn't say anything more, just closed the door, letting his disappearing footsteps be the last thing they heard from him.

"Awkward," sang Dark Shadow.

"I, uh, I need to, uh," Tokoyami stammered.

Shouji pulled his mask back on. "I'll… see you in class."

"Right, right… yeah…" As Shouji reached for the door, Tokoyami quickly took his wrist. "Um… thank you. For talking to me. Really."

Shouji gave Tokoyami's hand a squeeze. "Of course. Anytime." He then turned to fully face the smaller boy. "You know that… if you ever lose control or someone goes after you again, I will protect you. And I would hope… that you would do the same for me."

"I would," said Tokoyami without hesitation. "I'd always try to protect you."

-X-

As heroes, whether they'd become pro or not, they would end up in lots of fights. Some they just couldn't avoid at times. But in that warehouse, with someone with a Quirk that can change the colors of things by touching them, they were trapped in black. The windows and lightbulbs were covered in whatever material that Quirk produced, throwing everything into pitch black darkness.

"Fumikage!"

Tokoyami's eyes widened in horror though no one could see it. "Sister Ella?"

"You… really are a Cursed Child…"

Everyone else could hear it as well. Jirou, Kaminari, Tsuyu, Koda, and Shouji whipped around, trying to locate the source of the voice. They were yelling over one another, trying to make sure that everyone was present and no one had gone away from the group. But that was all background noise to Tokoyami.

"Sister Ella," Tokoyami croaked out. "What… What are you talking about?"

The voice changed. "I changed my mind, Sister Ella… I don't want him anymore."

"Father?"

"He truly is Cursed."

"No, no, you don't mean that!"

Jirou was able to pinpoint her friend through the sound. She tried to grab him by the shoulders. "Get a hold of yourself, Tokoyami! It's the villains' tricks!"

"They must have someone who's got a voice changing Quirk, ribbit," said Tsuyu.

Everyone heard Jirou let out a scream. Kaminari quickly produced some lightning and in the flickering glow, they could see an enlarged Dark Shadow trying to climb its way out of its host. Tokoyami was hugging himself, breathing heavily as he tried to hold back his Quirk. There was no way he was going to yield to the monster ever again.

"Eh?" A new, unfamiliar voice echoed through the warehouse, bouncing off the walls. "So he's able to control it a little now?"

"Kaminari!" Shouji snapped. "Create as much light as you can!"

Just as the other boy was about to, he was ambushed by the guy who could change colors. He was outfitted in a rubber suit, allowing him to withstand Kaminari's powers. So Tsuyu quickly jumped in to help. Meanwhile, Jirou was able to find the other villain, the one with the voice changing Quirk and quickly engaged in battle.

"Everyone get away!" Tokoyami shouted. "I don't want to hurt any of you!"

Shouji ran forward, using all six of his arms to cover Tokoyami, holding him tight, trapped in a ball. "I won't leave… I said I would protect you! Everyone here! They're trying to protect you! So don't you dare tell us to run away!"

Through the tiny gaps in the ball, Tokoyami could see what looked to be fireflies coming close to him, surrounding him from all sides. Then he heard the blast that came from Jirou's speakers, the trembling voice of Koda commanding the bugs to get closer, the familiar sound of Tsuyu regurgitating something from her stomach, and then the crackling of Kaminari's lightning. Tsuyu, on the outside, had a flashlight on her, one Midoriya gave to her right before they separated. She turned it on and it filled the room almost instantly.

"We'll protect you," said Shouji, tightening his hold no matter how hurt he got. "We'll always protect you."

Tokoyami woke up in the hospital, the first thing he saw being the crow head that belonged to Karasuma who lunged forward, hugging his son. Beside him was Sister Ella of all people, looking older than ever but as kind as she always was. She checked up on them once in a while to make sure everything was alright.

"I'm so glad you're okay," said Karasuma.

Ella nodded. "You've made some really good friends, Fumikage."

Tokoyami knew he did. He really did. Outside, it was the same old process though. The chattering of the nurses and doctors. But then a new voice joined in, Bakugou.

"Shut the hell up!" his explosive classmate shouted. "If it weren't for that bird brain's crazy ass Quirk last summer, me and this half-and-half bastard might've actually been killed! So why don't you get your heads out of your asses and go back to doing your damn jobs!"

"Kacchan… you really do care."

"Shut up, Deku!"

The door slid open and Shouji stood there. The rest of class A, and Aizawa and All Might who looked like they were pushed out of the way by the tallest in their group, was trying to look through the gaps in between the doorframe and their friend. There was Mineta waving a giant melon over his head like the time they all visited Midoriya. Yaoyorozu had a bouquet of flowers in hand, and Jirou gave him a little wave.

"Shouji," said Tokoyami. "Are you…?"

"I'm fine now," Shouji replied. "Because you're here."

A moment of recognition passed over Karasuma. He glanced between this massive student and his son. "I see…" He stood up and bowed to the class although it seemed to directed specifically at Shouji who stood at front. "Thank you for taking care of my son. I am truly grateful."

"Of course Mr. Tokoyami," said Ashido.

"We wouldn't be class A without him," Kirishima grinned.

When the adults went out to speak with the teachers, the kids huddled around the bed. They brought along a bunch of random fruit, books, and board games, wanting to make sure Tokoyami wouldn't get bored. All Might was also able to negotiate longer visiting hours so they could spend a little more time with their friend. Tokoyami ended up telling everyone everything but asked them not to take pity on him. He didn't feel like the Cursed Child anymore with those around him.

"You know," said Hagakure, "in fairy tales, the curse is usually lifted by true love's first kiss."

Uraraka clapped her hands together in delight. "That's right!"

"Don't tell me I interrupted you guys about to break a Curse last time," said Kaminari.

Sero jokingly swatted at Kaminari's arm. "So it's your fault our friend's like this?"

The group laughed at the shenanigans, a little at Tokoyami's flustered expense. But while they were distracted with the laughter, they didn't notice Shouji removing his mask. Not until Shouji leaned in and kissed Tokoyami right on the end of his beak. The more innocent classmates (Iida, Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, Koda) were red in the face to be witnessing this while the most straightforward ones had deadpan expressions (Tsuyu, Todoroki, Bakugou) and most of the rest were trying to take photos on their phones to commemorate this moment.

"Sh—Sh—Shouji!" Tokoyami stuttered, as red as the innocents.

"Was I not supposed to do that?" smiled Shouji. "I told you, I'm not good at analyzing things."

Jirou poked the side of Tokoyami's head. "So? Is the Curse gone?"

Dark Shadow popped out and shared a look with Tokoyami. The host feeling the heat drop from his cheeks as he took one of Shouji's hands in his, intertwining their fingers. The pair looked back to their class and said in unison, "We're fine now. Because you're all here."


End file.
